Land grab cuffs on Siliguri TMC leader

Police escort Joyprakash Singh Chauhan outside the court in Siliguri on Sunday. Picture by Passang Yolmo 

TT, Siliguri: A Trinamul leader was arrested on Saturday night for allegedly grabbing a three-acre plot owned by the public works department near here - a month after Mamata Banerjee had asked police to crack down on land mafia in Siliguri.

Sources said Joyprakash Singh Chauhan alias Himmat had allegedly encroached on the plot off NH31 near the regulated market at Champasari. He has been picked up by Pradhannagar police.

Chauhan was produced in the additional chief judicial magistrate's court on Sunday and remanded in police custody for eight days.

"He (Chauhan) was arrested under section 447 (punishment for criminal trespass) of the IPC, Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and West Bengal Land Reforms Act. He was booked for encroachment on and unauthorised occupancy of government land," Saumitra Singha Sarkar, an additional public prosecutor, said here.

Demand for land has been on the rise in Siliguri, particularly on the outskirts, because of steady flow of people from neighbouring districts and states.

"As a result, a section of people, including some Trinamul workers and leaders, entered into shabby land deals. Some even encroached on private and government land and forged papers for selling plots," said a realtor here.

During the chief minister's visit here last month, Mamata had said at an administrative review meeting that police should take stern action against all those involved in illegal land deals.

The police swung into action and collected information about land sharks, many of whom are Trinamul leaders and workers.

"So far, we have zeroed in on around 70 people involved in shady dealings related to realty. They are based in different areas of Siliguri subdivision and adjoining places of Jalpaiguri district. Some of them have been arrested, including Joyprakash Singh Chauhan, who is a major catch. Some others have surrendered while a section is trying to evade arrests," said a police source.

Chauhan is alleged to have controlled all major land deals in and around Champasari.

"There are allegations that he controlled supply of raw materials for real estate projects in the area. He is also suspected to have been involved in illegal extraction of sand, boulders and pebbles from rivers," said a source.

In 2015, Chauhan had contested as a Trinamul candidate in ward 46 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. He was defeated by the CPM.

Asked about Chauhan's arrest, Krishna Paul, a core committee member of Trinamul in Siliguri, said: "Our party never supports unlawful activities. If anybody has to stay in the party, he will have to follow the rules and principles of it."